Incredibly beautiful, insanely powerful and extraordinarily capable, the Pagani Huayra picks up where Horacio Pagani’s first hypercar, the Zonda, left off, taking this transplanted Argentinian’s art to an entirely new level of the sublime. The public took notice of Horacio Pagani’s exceptional passion and talents when he introduced the Zonda to universal praise at the 1999 Geneva Auto Salon. Inspired by the Group 3 prototype sports racers of the ‘90s, the Zonda established a new standard for bespoke ultra-high-performance automobiles and, while it was not available in North America, it was met with instant success in Europe and elsewhere. That prompted a new generation of challengers from well-established manufacturers, and by 2003, the new hypercar category was populated by such exotica as the Bugatti Veyron, Porsche Carrera GT, Mercedes-McLaren SLR and Ferrari Enzo. Pagani already knew he would have to counter this onrush of competition; he also knew he needed to homologate his next creation for the worldwide market, and only an all-new car would answer both challenges.

Enter the Huayra, an exquisite automotive achievement that surpasses the Zonda as Horacio Pagani’s greatest artistic expression. This is certainly not the first time a car has evoked the term “art” in describing its magnificence, but it is in this case not hyperbole but fact. The Huayra is by any aesthetic measure a work of art, even in its most minute details, because its creator’s sensibilities are those of a Renaissance artist; Pagani himself has always maintained that his inspiration comes from Leonardo Da Vinci, who believed art and science were naturally complementary.

Just as that philosophy shaped the Zonda, so has it determined Pagani’s approach to designing and building the Huayra. Pagani cites “the eternal element air in all its forms, especially wind,” as the determining and inspirational force behind the Huayra’s design. (The very name is borrowed from the Andean wind god, Huayra-Tata.) The Huayra’s basic shape is one shared by other exotic high-performance machines, and not the just the earthbound variety; with its forward-positioned canopy, rising tail and quadruple center-mounted titanium exhaust outlets, its presence is as formidable as that of a jet fighter.

The Huayra’s body structure is perhaps its most technically advanced feature, not surprising given Horacio Pagani’s background as a pioneer in the development of composites for the automobile industry. He was the first director of composites for Lamborghini and, when the Sant’ Agata firm refused his request to buy an autoclave to advance development of carbon-fiber tubs in the 1980s, he bought his own autoclave and began the research that would eventually produce the Zonda.

For the Huayra, Pagani once again advanced the technology. The Huayra is the only car in the world made entirely of a carbon-titanium composite simply called “carbotanium,” a woven blend of carbon fiber and strands of titanium that can be worked in the same way as carbon fiber. It is lighter and stronger than carbon fiber, thereby decreasing weight and increasing structural torsional rigidity, but because of its titanium constituent, it does not shatter upon impact as carbon fiber does, presenting an element of safety formerly lacking in most composites.

Both aesthetically and conceptually, the Huayra is the very definition of automotive art in its highest form. Smoother and sleeker than the Zonda, the body appears to be carved by the wind, its cab-forward shape visually straining to penetrate the air. Working in conjunction with the active suspension, computer actuated flaps at each corner rise and fall independently in answer to the Huayra’s speed, direction and dynamic balance. In hard cornering, the inside flaps rise, increasing downforce to counter body roll. To maintain stability under braking, the front suspension automatically lifts to counter nosedive and the rear flaps rise up to act as air brakes.
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It’s natural that Pagani’s cars are endowed with Mercedes-Benz power. As a young man competing in Argentina’s Formula Two series, he met the famed Argentinian racing manager Oreste Burta. That led to an introduction to the revered five-time World Champion Juan Manuel Fangio. Pagani and Fangio became close friends, and before he passed away in 1995, El Maestro arranged a contract with Mercedes-Benz to supply engines to Pagani for the Zonda. That relationship continues today, a testament to Mercedes-Benz’ respect for both Fangio and Pagani. The Huayra’s twin turbocharged V-12 engine is handmade by AMG following that company’s “One man, one engine” philosophy. Upon completion, each engine is fitted with a plate bearing the assembler’s name and attached to the CAD-machined plenum.

Set into the Huayra’s rear subframe, the finished engine presents another aspect of the art that imbues every one of the Huayra’s 4000-plus components: the hand-fabricated quadruple-outlet exhausts that are a signature Pagani feature. Custom built in Germany by MHG-Fahrzeugtechnik, its primaries are handmade from sheets of titanium that are formed on rollers and welded together by skilled craftsmen before being bent in a hydroform press; the individual pieces are then hand-welded to form the individual runners. The mufflers are also hand-fabricated, hydroformed into elliptical shapes and baked at high temperature to give them their unique purple tint.

The Huayra’s 6.0L twin-turbo V-12 engine is art that literally comes to life, powering the Huayra to the tune of 730 HP and 738 lb-ft of torque with a designed-in thunderous roar that has often been likened to a jet exhaust under full power—more art, this time in fleeting aural form but just as powerful in its effect on the senses as any other aspect of this other-worldly exotic. In the real world, it translates into 2.8-second 0-60 MPH times and a top speed of 238 MPH.

To lift the gullwing doors and settle into the Huayra’s confines is to enter a world of wonder, one composed of perfectly rendered, hand-stitched Davi leathers, machined and polished aluminum and carbon-fiber forms, and switchgear purposely designed for a positive, snappy feel inspired by a long-ago encounter with an old Alfa sedan. The smallest feature is a product of Pagani’s obsessive attention to detail.

More than a showy environment, Pagani purposely designed the Huayra’s cockpit to be as roomy, inviting, comfortable and safe as possible in keeping with his overriding goal of making his car easy and pleasurable to drive; a quality rarely seen in such exotic machines.

Finished in Blue Argentina and matching blue carbon fiber with a gold accent stripe, the 2014 Pagani Huayra offered here embodies all the magic of Horacio Pagani’s boundless imagination in mesmerizing form. Delivered new to the U.S. and driven just 439 miles since, it remains in meticulous showroom condition throughout, just as when it was completed by the talents at Pagani’s pristine Modena facility.

The Pagani Huayra offers a sensational driving and ownership experience that “Top Gear” honored with its 2012 Hypercar of the Year Award. In fact, former “Top Gear” co-host Richard Hammond gave his full endorsement: “Supreme performance and astonishing looks, there was only ever one contender for this award.” The owner community is active internationally and organizes track and touring events in many attractive venues, including the company’s own “Vanishing Point” or "Pagani Raduno," an annual gathering of Pagani owners and friends from around the world who spend four days of driving fun together, hosted by Horacio Pagani, his family and his very special team.

Because every Pagani Huayra is a bespoke automobile in the finest Italian tradition, it is rare indeed for one to become available for public purchase; furthermore, every one ever slated for production has a waiting owner, facts that underscore the significance of this exclusive offering.
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Information found on the website is presented as advance information for the auction lot. Photos, materials for videos, descriptions and other information are provided by the consignor/seller and is deemed reliable, but Mecum Auction does not verify, warrant or guarantee this information. The lot and information presented at auction on the auction block supersedes any previous descriptions or information. Mecum is not responsible for information that may be changed or updated prior to the auction. The decision to purchase should be based solely on the buyers personal inspection of the lot at the auction site prior to the auction.